38 Organizations Urge Senators to Vote for DISCLOSE Act of 2012

VOTE FOR S. 2219, THE DISCLOSE ACT OF 2012

Dear Senator,

The undersigned organizations support S. 2219, the DISCLOSE Act 2012, sponsored by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse.

The legislation would provide the public with basic information about campaign expenditures made by outside groups that are influencing federal elections and the donors financing these expenditures. The legislation would also provide timely disclosure by Super PACs and require outside groups which make campaign expenditures to take responsibility for their campaign ads.

It is a cardinal rule of campaign finance laws that citizens are entitled to know the identities of the donors financing campaign expenditures to influence their votes, and the amounts they gave. This basic right to know has long been recognized by disclosure laws enacted by Congress and by Supreme Court decisions upholding the constitutionality of these laws.

In the Citizens United decision, the Supreme Court by an 8 to 1 vote upheld the constitutionality of disclosure requirements for outside groups making campaign expenditures. The Court stated:

The First Amendment protects political speech; and disclosure permits citizens and shareholders to react to the speech of corporate entities in a proper way.  This transparency enables the electorate to make informed decisions and give proper weight to different speakers and messages.

Polls show citizens strongly support disclosure by outside spenders.

The DISCLOSE Act of 2012 only contains disclosure requirements and does not contain special exceptions for any groups. The legislation is effective, fair and constitutional and deserves the support of Senators. Congress should enact the bill and provide citizens with the information they are entitled to know about who is giving and spending money to influence their votes. 

We urge you to vote for S. 2219 and to take all steps necessary for its enactment.

Alliance for a Just Society

Americans for Campaign Reform                            

Brennan Center for Justice

Campaign Legal Center  

Center for Media and Democracy                      

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington

Citizen Works

Coalition for Accountability in Political Spending

Coffee Party USA 

Common Cause   

Corporate Ethics International/ Business Ethics Network   

Credo Action Network

Democracy 21

Democracy for America

Dēmos

Free Speech for People

Greenpeace

Harrington Investments, Inc.

Heartland Democracy

League of Women Voters

Main Street Alliance

MapLight

Michigan Campaign Finance Network

National People’s Action

New Progressive Alliance

NC Center for Voter Education

Ohio Citizen’s Action Money & Politics Project

People For the American Way

Public Citizen             

Sunlight Foundation

Trillium Asset Management, LLC

Union of Concerned Scientists

United Republic

Walden Asset Management, a division of Boston Trust & InvestmentManagement  

WV Citizen Action Group

Wisconsin Democracy Campaign

Wolf-PAC

Zevin Asset Management, LLC